Opinion by: Dominic Schwenter, chief operating officer of Lisk

The US is in the middle of a crypto boom. Exchange-traded fund approvals have opened the door to institutional adoption, liquidity is increasing, and regulatory clarity is beginning to take shape under a more crypto-aligned administration. Filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission referencing blockchain hit an all-time high in February 2025, signaling a broader shift in how seriously the technology is being taken at the highest levels.

This momentum is good for the industry. US-based crypto companies have spent nearly a decade building through regulatory uncertainty, and they deserve the attention and rewards that are finally arriving. Is institutional support finally showing up? It’s overdue — and well-earned.

Zooming in on the US too much, however, puts the industry at risk of missing what’s happening elsewhere. Some of the most important crypto adoption today takes root in places far outside the spotlight.

The most exciting crypto adoption isn’t happening on Wall Street. It is unfolding in high-growth markets where people use crypto not to speculate but out of necessity. These communities didn’t wait for headlines. They built through every cycle and are now setting the pace for where Web3 is going next.

High-growth markets are leading in adoption

Fifteen of the top 20 countries on Chainalysis’s 2024 Global Crypto Adoption Index are in high-growth regions such as Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Nigeria. These aren’t just speculative hotspots. In many of these countries, crypto is part of daily life. Unlike boom-and-bust markets, adoption here hasn’t wavered. It is grounded in utility.

In many of these economies, crypto helps families facilitate remittance, offers a safer way to store value when local currencies aren’t stable, and lets small businesses move money without friction. In the West, crypto still carries the sheen of a high-risk investment. In high-growth markets, it’s already embedded into daily life. That’s what real adoption looks like.

Builders are shifting to high-growth markets

As steady, practical usage rises, builder activity follows. Currently, the global developer map is changing fast. 

According to the 2024 Electric Capital Developer Report, Asia now accounts for 32% of active crypto developers — a massive jump from just 12% in 2015. Over the same period, the US share dropped sharply, from 38% to 19%. The blockchain talent pool isn’t shrinking. It’s moving to where the momentum is.

Additionally, 41% of all new crypto developers now come from Asia, illustrating a growing pipeline of builders emerging outside of traditional tech hubs. These aren’t just hobbyists but the next wave of founders, architects and engineers choosing to build closer to the problems crypto can solve.

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This shift isn’t limited to Central Asia. Africa, South America and Southeast Asia are all seeing steady increases in developer activity, while North America and Europe continue to decline in relative share. The message is clear: Web3 innovation is no longer anchored to a single geography. It’s being driven by builders who are closer to real-world needs — and who are designing for them.

Blockchain solves real problems

The surge in developer activity and adoption across high-growth markets isn’t happening in a vacuum. Instead, it’s tied to real-world effects. 

A clear example is PepsiCo South Africa’s use of blockchain for supply chain tracking in the informal trade sector. In a region where traditional infrastructure is often fragmented or absent, this implementation does what blockchain was meant to do: solve problems.

Using a blockchain-powered end-to-end digital payments solution like Lov.cash, PepsiCo enables cashless payments between small, often unbanked retailers and wholesalers. The system also gave wholesalers a clear view into what was selling and where — helping them plan smarter and cut down on waste. There’s no token speculation here, no shiny non-fungible tokens — just a real solution to a real supply chain problem.

Stories like this rarely get top billing, but they’re where the technology actually delivers. In places where basic infrastructure is lacking, blockchain isn’t an experiment. It’s a workaround. If the industry keeps chasing hype while ignoring this influence, it’ll miss the most significant chance to make a difference.

A call to action for Web3 builders

What’s happening in the US is worthy of celebration — but it’s not the whole story. Real-world adoption, momentum from builders, and real use cases are accelerating in high-growth markets, where crypto is already making a difference.

This is where Web3’s long-term effect will be shaped. Builders and investors should stop waiting for validation from Washington or Wall Street and start paying attention to the places where the tech is solving real problems right now.

Crypto didn’t wait for the US to matter. If the goal is to build something truly global, it’s time to follow the people already using it to make things work.

Opinion by: Dominic Schwenter, chief operating officer of Lisk.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Bitcoin holders are celebrating one year since the 2024 Bitcoin halving by praising BTC’s resilience amid a global trade war and suggesting an accelerated market cycle due to a growing institutional presence.

The 2024 Bitcoin halving reduced block rewards from 6.25 Bitcoin (BTC) to 3.125 BTC, slashing new BTC issuance in half.

Despite rising concerns over a global trade war and escalating tariff tensions between the United States and China, BTC has climbed more than 33% since April 2024, Cointelegraph Markets Pro data shows.

“So, even though Bitcoin’s showing resilience, I think the mix of past experiences, economic uncertainty, and this selling pressure is keeping investors on the sidelines, waiting for a stronger green light before they jump in,” said Enmanuel Cardozo, a market analyst at asset tokenization platform Brickken.

Cardozo added that institutional investment from firms such as Strategy and Tether could speed up Bitcoin’s traditional four-year halving cycle. He added:

“For the 2024 halving in May, that puts the bottom around Q3 this year and a peak mid-2026, but I think we might see things move it a bit sooner because the market’s more mature now with more liquidity.”

However, Bitcoin’s trajectory remains tied to broader monetary policy, the analyst added. He said a US Federal Reserve rate cut in May or June may “pump more money into the system and push Bitcoin up faster.”

The halving is a built-in feature of the Bitcoin network that assures Bitcoin’s scarcity, which is considered one of BTC’s defining monetary characteristics.

Related: Crypto, stocks enter ‘new phase of trade war’ as US-China tensions rise

ETFs and institutions fuel faster cycle

Institutional adoption and Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) may be contributing to a shorter market cycle, according to Vugar Usi Zade, chief operating officer at Bitget exchange.

Continued institutional buying, including by Bitcoin ETFs, paired with Bitcoin’s rising scarcity, may accelerate Bitcoin’s rise to new highs, he told Cointelegraph.

“With growing scarcity triggered by the halving, Bitcoin will likely retest its all-time high if it breaches the $90,000 mark in the coming weeks,” Usi Zade said. “While the halving offers a good basis for growth based on demand and scarcity, the timeline for impact on price can vary over time.”

He noted that Bitcoin’s growth remains closely tied to traditional financial markets and investor sentiment.

Related: Bitcoin speculative appetite declines as investors seek safety

Bitcoin reached a new all-time high above $109,000 on Jan. 20, 273 days after the 2024 Bitcoin halving, signaling an accelerated market cycle.

In comparison, it took Bitcoin 546 days to reach an all-time high after the 2021 halving, and 518 days after the 2017 halving, according to data shared by popular crypto trader Jelle, in an April 8 X post.

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